"Drama Week" summarizes the main drama news of the week. This week (April 18-24), the hot topics included former AKB48 member Mariya Nagao playing the number one hostess at a high-class club in Roppongi, and Mamoru Miyano making his first appearance in a Taiga drama in "The Gyakuzoku no Bakushin," scheduled to air in 2027. This will be covered in two parts.
On April 22nd, it was revealed that Mariya Nagao, a former member of AKB48, is starring in "I Hate You ~A Vortex of Women's Desires and Jealousy~," which will be released on the same day on the short drama distribution service "BUMP." This marks Nagao's first solo starring role in a short drama. She plays Tsubaki, the number one hostess at the upscale Roppongi club "ENVY." Kanami Takasaki plays Sumire, the number two hostess who stands in Tsubaki's way, and Amon Hirai plays Toshi, Tsubaki's childhood friend who is caught between the two hostesses. The drama centers on Tsubaki, Sumire, and Toshi, depicting the jealousy, pride, and distorted forms of love that swirl among women in the world of night.
On the 22nd, the third episode of the TV Asahi drama series "Borderless: Wide-Area Mobile Investigation Team" (Wednesdays at 9pm) aired, featuring guest appearances by Yoko Minamino and Katsuhide Uekusa, both of whom were top idols in the 1980s and continue to be active in a wide range of fields today. This was the first time the two had co-starred in a drama. Minamino played Yurie Sasano, the first person to discover a robbery and murder case, while Uekusa played Tomomichi Fukazawa, a suspicious person captured on security cameras near the scene. Minamino and Uekusa, who hadn't seen each other in a long time, had often appeared together on music programs in the past, and reminisced about old times during breaks in filming.
On the 22nd, seven new cast members were announced for the NHK Taiga drama "BROTHERS IN ARMS （Toyotomi Brothers!）" (NHK General, Sundays at 8pm, etc.), starring Taiga Nakano, revealing the appearances of Eiji Okuda and Yumi Aso. Okuda will play Yorimasa Horiike, the father of Kei's (Riho Yoshioka) deceased husband, and Aso will play Kinu Horiike, Yorimasa's wife. In addition, Mio Tanaka will play Yoshisuke Bessho, Shugo Oshinari will play Shigemune Bessho, and Kasumi Yamaya will play Dashi, the wife of Murashige Araki, the lord of Arioka Castle in Settsu, and a beauty known as the "modern Yang Guifei." Furthermore, Shogo Hama will play Terumoto Mori, and Danshun Tachikawa will play Ekei Ankokuji.
On the 22nd, it was revealed that Kuranosuke Sasaki will star in "Continuous Drama W-30 'ALIUS -Specific Incident Investigation File-'" (6 episodes in total), which will be broadcast and streamed on WOWOW starting in July. This will be Sasaki's first appearance in a WOWOW drama in approximately 24 years, and his first time in a leading role. Sasaki plays a detective in the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department's First Investigation Division who takes on the challenge of solving a series of murders that cannot be explained by science. In an underground parking lot in Tokyo, the body of a neurosurgeon is discovered with four knives stuck in his throat. There are many suspicious points about the victim's behavior, and Detective Shogo Sano (Sasaki) begins an investigation, but the situation takes a sudden turn when a second victim appears. An unknown entity called "ALIUS" emerges from behind the scenes...
On the 24th, it was revealed that Mamoru Miyano will appear in the NHK Taiga drama " The Gyakuzoku no Bakushin ," which will air in 2027 and stars Mamoru Miyano Tori Matsuzaka . This will be Miyano's first appearance in a Taiga drama. He will play Takigawa Tomonori, a childhood friend of the protagonist, Oguri Tadamasa(Matsuzaka). Takigawa is a hatamoto (a direct retainer of the shogun) who lived right next door to the Oguri family's mansion. He rose steadily through the ranks, serving as Foreign Affairs Commissioner, Kanagawa Magistrate, and Kyoto Town Magistrate, eventually becoming a Grand Inspector. When Tokugawa Yoshinobu restored power to the Emperor, he strongly opposed returning power to the Imperial Court, and he also strongly advocated for the subjugation of Satsuma in response to their provocative actions in Edo. During the Boshin War, he, like Oguri, advocated for a total resistance against the new government forces. Miyano commented, "I would like to approach this role with sincerity and dedication so that I can be a presence that can inspire both Oguri and the story."
It has also been revealed that Takashi Aoki will appear in "The Gyakuzoku no Bakushin." He will play Sukumo Kurimoto, a big brother figure to Oguri Tadamasa and his lifelong ally. This will be Aoki's fifth appearance in a Taiga drama, following "Ryomaden" (2010), "Taira no Kiyomori" (2012), "Saigo-don" (2018), and "The 13 Lords of the Shogun" (2022). In addition, Mitsuomi Takahashi will play Tomonori Komai, Oguri's childhood friend, Daisuke Shiba of "Moguraider" will play Masahiro Asahina, also a childhood friend, and Yoshiyoshi Arakawa will play Rizaemon Minomura, who goes from being a servant in the Oguri family to becoming the head clerk of Mitsui. This will be Shiba's first appearance in a Taiga drama.
